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Mozilla’s standalone Firefox VPN is now available in beta

Mozilla has a new virtual private network service and if you have a Chromebook, a Windows 10 computer or an Android device in the US, you can start using a beta version now. Called Firefox Private Network, the new service is designed to function as a full-device VPN and give better protection when surfing the web or when using public Wi-Fi networks.  The company …

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Shopping for an Apple product? Save big on refurbs

Every now and again I find myself in an Apple Store. When I see customers buying things like MacBooks ($600 at Amazon) and iPads ($170 at Amazon), I want to grab them by the shoulders and cry, “Wait! You can get these for less!” How? By venturing online, where Apple’s Refurbished Store carries a rotating selection of products that are …

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Larry Tesler, Apple employee who created cut

Computer scientist and user interface guru Larry Tesler, a key figure at Apple during its early years, died Monday at the age of 74, according to Apple Insider. Tesler pioneered the concept of “cut-copy-paste” during his time at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in the 1970s. In the following two decades at Apple, he would be deeply involved in …

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Germany wants to make social media firms report illegal content to police

Germany’s cabinet approved a proposed law on Wednesday that will require social media companies to proactively report illegal content to the police or face fines of up to 50 million euros ($54 million). Content including hate speech, racial incitement, terrorism-related posts and child abuse imagery must already be deleted within 24 hours, according to existing German law. Under the proposed …

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Verizon is reportedly shelving further plans to sell Pixel phones

Verizon has put an “indefinite hold” on plans to sell Google’s Pixel phones, Android Police reported late Wednesday citing an unidentified source described as familiar with the company’s plans. No specific reason was cited, but poor sales could have motivated the change. Verizon on Thursday morning pushed back against the report, with a spokeswoman saying the mobile carrier will continue to …

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Europe bids for global digital leadership as pressure mounts from US and China

The EU on Wednesday unveiled a landmark digital strategy that it hopes will establish Europe as a global tech leader over the next decade and beyond. In the strategy, Europe outlined plans for boosting its “fair and competitive” economy, developing technology that’s beneficial to European citizens and underpinning an open, democratic society. Central to the plan is establishing a single …

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Judge dismisses Huawei suit challenging US government’s equipment ban

A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed Huawei’s lawsuit challenging the US government over a ban on its telecommunications equipment. Judge Amos Mazzant of the US District Court in East Texas ruled that the Congress had the power to restrict federal agencies from buying gear from the embattled Chinese company, the Wall Street Journal reported. In his 57-page ruling, the judge …

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